In 1961, Illinois license plates were red and white in honor of North Central College's centennial.

Before the state of Illinois began issuing multi-year license plates in 1979, motorists would receive a new set of plates each year. The plates were redesigned each year, and the colors for the letters and numbers and backgrounds would change.

Thanks to a blog post, today we're reminded that in 1961, Illinois motorists drove around with red-and-white license plates in honor of North Central College's Centennial.